Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has secured a major election victory in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, finishing far ahead of its mainstream political rivals but falling short of the majority needed to govern alone.
Preliminary results show the AfD winning 43.8% of the vote, compared with just 17.2% for the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU). The result represents a dramatic increase from the AfD’s performance in the 2021 state election.
Despite its commanding lead, the AfD is projected to secure 39 seats in the 83-seat state parliament, leaving it three seats short of an outright majority and setting the stage for difficult negotiations over the formation of the next government.
AfD state leader Ulrich Siegmund celebrated the result as “sensational” and argued that voters had given his party a clear mandate to govern. He described the outcome as a message not only for Saxony-Anhalt but for Germany as a whole.
No far-right party has governed a German state since World War Two. Taking control of Saxony-Anhalt would give the AfD significant authority over areas including policing, education and cultural policy.
However, forming a government could prove difficult. Most other political parties have ruled out cooperation with the AfD. One possible route could involve support from the left-wing populist BSW, which is projected to secure five seats and shares some positions with the AfD, particularly on migration and Russian energy.
The AfD has indicated that it is willing to negotiate with other parties and individual lawmakers. Party officials have suggested they could seek support from dissatisfied members of the CDU to help establish a government.
The election marks a significant setback for the CDU, whose share of the vote fell sharply compared with the previous state election. CDU state leader Sven Schulze acknowledged the defeat and said his party would have to confront the implications of the result.
Germany’s Social Democrats also described the outcome as deeply concerning, with national leaders saying the vote should serve as a strong political signal to the federal government in Berlin.
Turnout was particularly high at 77.8%, underscoring the significance voters placed on the election.
The AfD has built its strongest support in Germany’s eastern states and currently performs strongly in national opinion polling. The party also finished first in neighboring Thuringia’s 2024 state election but was unable to secure enough parliamentary support to take power.
Among the AfD’s most controversial policies is its call for “remigration.” Critics interpret the term as referring to large-scale deportations of migrants, while the party says its policy is aimed at criminals and people living in Germany illegally.
The result has triggered strong reactions both inside and outside Germany. Supporters celebrated what they described as a historic breakthrough, while political opponents and members of Germany’s Jewish community expressed alarm over the growing strength of the far right.
With no party holding a clear governing majority, Saxony-Anhalt now faces potentially complicated negotiations to determine who will lead the state.
